THE JOY OF GIVING

It was their first anniversary, and the husband wanted to make it one that his wife would remember for years to come. Speaking to a clerk in a greeting card store, he said, “I’d like a beautiful card for my wife to show her how much I truly love her.”

Leading him to the Anniversary Section, the clerk selected a card and presented it to him saying, “Here’s a lovely card, Sir, one of our most beautiful. And the message is most appropriate.”

“How much is it?” asked the husband.

“It’s a little less than $7.00,” he replied.

“Wow!” he gasped. “Got anything for about a buck?”

The church at Macedonia was going through troubling times and difficult days.  But when it came to giving, Paul said “They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity.”

Giving, for the Christian, is the good and right thing to do. It reflects our attitude about trust and our dependence on God. It is never about God, but about us and does not depend on the day or the time, but on the joy we find and the peace we have in Christ. We limit God’s blessings when we limit our giving.

Prayer: We pray, Father, that we will find the source and satisfaction of life in what we do with what we give. May we understand that all that we have is Yours and that we cannot out-give You! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture For Today:   They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity. 2 Corinthians 8:1-8